As this democratic nomination race has slowed to a virtual halt. It’s given me a little bit of time to reflect on exactly what’s happened over the past year. Did I make the right decision in switching my allegiance and parting ways with my father whose a HUGE Clinton supporter? I also have reflected on the constant media scrutiny surrounding the race.

I realized I am happy with my decision…I voted based on consciousness. Initially I was aligned with Hillary Clinton because she was my New York Senator and had enacted legislation that helped my father in his government position with the New York City’s Health and Hospitals Corporation. But I chose instead to vote for Barack Obama because he was real…he spoke the TRUTH. With Hillary now poised to bow out of the race it appears I may be justified.

One of Hip Hop’s most played out cliche’s is to “Keep It Real.” From everything from the Farrakhan controversy to the Rev. Wright fiasco, all he did was speak the truth. This past weekend The Huffington Post released a tape of Obama making what the paper determined to be disparaging comments towards the million’s of Americans who live in small towns.

“But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations. “

Is it just me or his he simply speaking the truth? The 1992 epic “A Few Good Men” made popular the term “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” American’s, more specifically African Americans, have asked themselves are we ready for a Black President? I think the real question is not about race but about reality. ARE WE READY FOR THE TRUTH? or can we not handle it? In the excerpt above he’s simply speaking the TRUTH…and yes the truth offends. Why because some who are effected by it choose to ignore it. We’re always told to be “Politically Correct” its not black its “African American” its not a midget its “a dwarf” she’s not retarded “she’s challenged.” Obama doesn’t sugar coat, he doesn’t want us to be politically correct he wants us to be CORRECT… REAL!

Race, guns, violence, poverty, war…these are all parts of our reality. In the past we’ve chose to elect presidents who have represented our RIGHT to be protected from these truths. However, Mr. Obama has chose to make us part of the process again…a true democracy where the governing body is transparent and held as accountable as we as citizens are expected to be. Look I’m not going to sit here and say I’m waiving the flag but as a realist how can I not?! YES WE CAN!